USPTO rejects Nintendo's "summon and fight" Pokémon patent as Palworld battle continues

The USPTO issued a non-final rejection of Nintendo's 'summon and fight' patent, rejecting all 26 claims.

Nintendo has two months to respond, amend the claims, or appeal the decision.

The office cited prior US patent applications from Konami, Bandai Namco, and Nintendo as prior art.

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Pocketpair in Japan in September 2024 over multiple patent claims.

Pocketpair modified Palworld during the dispute, removing Pal Sphere summoning in November 2024 and changing gliding mechanics.